A Space Heater For Cheap, Satety-Conscious People --> NOW BATTERY-OPERATED
Written: Feb 06 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Can Run On Batteries. Keeps The Computer Drastically Cooler. Same Size As The Footprint Of My Laptop.
Cons: Original USB Cable Will Most Likely Fail On You. But Batteries Can Be Put Into Place.
The Bottom Line: All-In-All, The TARGUS Cooling Pad Truly Does What It Is Meant To Do. Just Don't Have Your Hopes Up For The USB Cable's Integrity.
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| shippo225's Full Review: Targus Tornado Notebook Chill Mat (Pa248u) |
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xA3vPFAN-y0
Yet Another Trip To BestBuy Outta Boredom:
This is becoming an expensive habit:
Some time ago, about 756 days ago to be exact, I got this Averatec 4155 thin laptop. And some time ago, about 756 days ago, I realized how hot portable power could be. Many folks who have never used a modern day laptop can't grasp the fact that they can cause 3rd degree burns or LEAD TO SKIN CANCER. The store wasn't kidding when they said this was a ' Hot Deal ' . The problem is that there is more heat being created through today's powerful systems, and no sufficient cooling methods. Onboard fans are pretty much worthless in keeping a notebook cool enough to hold. So, like many others, we place a blanket or pillow between ourselves and the computer, making matters even worse. Many laptops will shut off on their own before heat can cause internal damage.
So how hot are we talking? Well, laptops usually come with built-in thermometers to aide in controlling the fan. You can download programs to see these readings and even adjust the settings. I use SpeedFan. It shows you multiple temperatures from within and allows fan settings and other options to be modified. It showed my laptop to run @ 162°F. The is way beyond the maximum recommended temperature of 130°F. And I believe it too, because it will slowly melt a slice of Kraft American cheese. When it gets to that point, you can no longer hold the thing, because the instant you touch the bottom,it feels like a stove. I'm not talking that kind of hot where you can hold it for a few seconds then feel it, it's instant.
Haven't Maxed Out The Plastic, Why Not Spend It?:
I eventually decided to buy a cooling pad for my expensive toy. BestBuy was the store of choice because I had some spare credit, and like most Americans, why not spend the money I don't have? There were only two cooling pads available: this one (PA248U), and the more expensive pad with USB ports built in. I went with the cheap one of course, due to the lack of need for more USB ports and I didn't want to pay $59 for it either. It was $19 so I grabbed it. It was one of the few products I have bought that I can say I actually needed.
Getting Started:
When I got home, I took the blade to the blister pack. They wouldn't want you getting in too easily. It comes with just the cooling pad with a 3' USB power cable. No instructions or power AC adapters, not that any are needed.
Using the Targus Cooling Pad is quite simple indeed. You’ll just plug the USB end into an available USB port on your laptop. The other end plugs into the side of the cooling pad. From there, you can turn the pad on and off using the little switch half way up the cord. Being that it is a laptop cooling pad, three feet of cord is still too much when a simple one foot cord would have sufficed nicely.
There’s not much else to it. I do notice that if I left the pad plugged in and turned on while plugged into a powered USB port, the pad will still run off the laptop battery when the computer is turned off. Luckily the power consumption is so minimal that it would take forever to drain the battery if accidentally left on.
How It Works:
The concept behind the cooling pad is pretty straight forward. As your laptop sits on the Targus Cooling Pad, the two fans draw the hot air from the narrow space between the pad and laptop, then expels it out the back [or front if you’re not using it right]. It basically keeps the hot air from building under the laptop. At little power consumption and barely any audible noise, it is the best and most efficient method for cooling off on those hot days.
Since the pad blows hot air out the back and into the environment, it becomes a sort-of space heater, hence the cheesy title. Just don’t expect a major cut in your heating bill as a result.
So Does It Work?
My Experience:
Yes, this cheap flimsy cooling pad really does the trick. While using the Targus Cooling Pad, my laptop stays well within skin-tolerable heat levels. When using the pad on your lap, you’re not going to feel the heat anyway since the notebook isn’t directly on your skin. But I only got it for the computer’s own well-being. It mostly stays under my laptop on the bed, which is where most of my computering happens. Heat builds up real fast when the fleece blanket fills in the vents completely, underneath as well as around the sides of my laptop.
Shortly after destroying the USB cable, I rigged up a fancy battery pack to power it. Whenever I’m ready to jump on the computer, I just throw in some fresh rechargeables and browse away. The bottom of my laptop never reaches high temperatures when I use the pad from the start. After awhile, the bottom has nothing more than a warm touch.
Help Control The Cord Population:
The HOW-TO 4 BATTEЯY OPEЯATION:
When I first purchased this cooling pad, I had read all the reviews here on epinions about it. Several of the reviewers claimed to have problems with the cheap, thin power cable, causing the fans to stop and go or just die altogether. Well, I went a whole month with NO problems like such……….Then it started happening to me. I wouldn’t notice the fault until my keyboard started heating up after awhile. I looked under and saw the fans not moving. The USB cord was coming apart at the end pieces. Epinions was right after all. I could jiggle the cord and get the fans to start for a little bit, but then they’d die again. Eventually, I got tired of always playing with it and decided to try a fix. It was time for battery pack power!
I already knew that USB power was 5v and AAA batteries were 1.5v, so I just needed to wire a battery case with three or four AAA’s to the pad and add a switch to control it. The minor variance in voltage is no problem for the pad. So I went down to RadioShack to find a AAA battery case to make for a neat installation [RadioShack.com Part #27-411]. It was $1.99 for the case with a cover and switch built-in. I also chose to get rechargeable batteries right off the bat for the cost effectiveness. Walmart had a charging kit with 4 AAA’s and 4 AA's for only $15. Pays for itself after five uses. You don’t need any experience for the simple wiring invoved.
If you would also like to spare yourself a USB port and fix the broken cable issue, then follow these simple directions:
You’ll Need:
1 Targus PA248U Cooling Pad
1 AAA Case [RadioShack #27-411]
4 Rechargeable AAA’s
Philips Screwdriver
Utility Knife [or similar]
Duct/Electrical Tape
Maybe Some Scissors
① Start by taking out the six Philips-head screws from the back. The pad won’t come apart, as it is designed to snap together also. But it will let you pull the power plug out from the side of the pad.
② Cut off the power connector to expose the red and black wires. Using fancy scissor skills, carefully strip off about half an inch of plastic to reveal the bare wire. Twist the wire end to make one strand. Do this with both wires.
③ Next, you will need to find a place to house the battery pack. I chose the area along the bottom right corner since it would not interfere with the fan, and the wires were heading that way anyway. You will need to cut out a 2”x2.5” rectangle in the back of the pad were the battery pack will go. A utility knife worked quite well, but anything is fine. If you make a few score lines, you can use pliers to snap off the pieces, or keep cutting away. Some trial and error should make a suitable hole for the batteries. I made mine just snug enough to where the case will firmly stay in place and won’t fall out.
④ Now for the simple wiring. Just twist the red wire from the battery case to the red wire on the pad and use a piece of electrical tape to neatly and securely wrap it. Follow the same for the blacks.
⑤ You can then hide the excess wire in the cooling pad and replace the six screws. You don’t need to worry about the wires tangling up in the fan since there is a retaining wall that separates the two areas.
And there you go. If done correctly, it will look as if it were meant to run on batteries. With a fully charged set of AAA’s, I can usually get two or three hours of run time. That’s about on par with a laptop battery anyway. Higher capacity batteries will last longer, of course, but at the additional cost. These 1000MAh triple A’s come in 4-packs for $5 at Wal-Mart.
A YouTube Video:
I made a short youtube clip showing the Targus cooling pad in action. It also shows the battery pack I installed.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=xA3vPFAN-y0
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^_^ Shippo225 © 2008 Ron Miller
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Recommended:
Yes
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shippo225
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